Front Porch: Hear about Monte Cristo mines past and present

David Cameron, a local retired history and anthropology teacher, plans to discuss the cleanup of the old Monte Cristo mine at a meeting of the Mukilteo Historical Society on Thursday.

The meeting is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in the Fowler Room at Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave., Mukilteo. The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments are planned.

Cameron is also a seasonal U.S. Forest Service volunteer. The Monte Cristo mine is located about 35 miles east of Granite Falls.

Is your car leaking? A program dubbed “Don’t Drip &Drive” aims to give Western Washington drivers an inexpensive way to fix cars and help the environment.

In April, drivers in Snohomish County and other participating jurisdictions can take vehicles to a participating repair shop for a free visual inspection. If a leak is spotted, the driver gets a 10-percent-off coupon valid for up to $50 in savings.

Leaky cars and trucks are responsible for more than 7 million quarts of motor oil draining into state waterways each year. The inspection is strongly recommended for vehicles made in 2005 and earlier.

All participating mechanics are members of the Automotive Service Association. To find a participating repair shop near you, go to www.fixcarleaks.org.

The campaign is possible by a grant from the state Department of Ecology.

Help for parents: The National Alliance on Mental Illness Snohomish County is offering its six-week educational course, NAMI Basics, beginning Thursday.

The classes, offered once a week, are meant to help parents and other caregivers of mentally ill children and adolescents better understand the illness and develop helping and coping techniques.

The free classes are held at First Presbyterian Church, 2936 Rockefeller Ave. in Everett. For more information and to register contact Carolyn Hetherwick Goza at 425-347-5365 or e mail: namicontact@gmail.com.